May 04, 2009

In a Recession, Everyone is in Marketing

Is your company experiencing a decline in sales? New customers? Decreased confidence? If you are like most companies in this recession, the answer is YES!

Doing nothing about this is actually doing something. By that I mean, if you are standing still and the waves are getting bigger, eventually you will wipe out.

Here are five ways you can stop the tsunami from hitting your shoreline:

Marketing 101-Begin by reminding yourself and your staff that EVERYONE IS IN MARKETING! Every person in your organization in some way has the ability to impact sales and customer service. Keep this in mind as you look at ways to strengthen your organization.

Is the Right Person Representing Your Firm?- Your front line receptionist may be the only interaction someone has with your firm. The other day, I placed a call to a local hospitality association, who I happened to know was in turmoil. The newly appointed director is trying to turn this ship around. The director should start with the receptionist. The tone of her voice alone almost put me to sleep. Is this really the first and perhaps last voice you want your partners, customers and potential customers to hear? Surely there are lots of great people out there that are more engaging.

Invest in Employee Morale-It is hard, if not impossible for your employees to delight your customers if they are personally disengaged. Take the pulse of your organization and see if a lifeline is needed. Do this before your customers find someone else that will kindly take care of their needs.

Get Back to Grassroots-Ask your front line employees what they think you can do to increase the level of service your organization is providing. While you are at it, ask your customers what other products and services they would like to see.

Start Investing in Your People-Your employees will not grow unless you nurture them. Provide them with ways to increase their skills so they can better serve your clients. You can do this in a number of ways including reviving training, which is usually the first thing to go when a recession hits.

You can receive more tips on how to strengthen your organization by subscribing to our monthly newsletter HR Matters .

Hi,
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